Front fender skirt



Dec. 4, 1951 H, BOOKMAN 2,577,673

FRONT FENDER SKIRT Filed OCL. 2l, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l HAR/PV BOO/(MAN,

IN VEN TUR.

HUEBNER, BEEHLE?, WORREL, HERZ/GJ CALDWELL,

A TTORNEVS.

DCC- 4, 1951 H. BooKMAN FRONT FENDER SKRT 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Oct. 2l, 1948 HAR/PV BOOK MAN,

l IN V EN TOR. HUEBNER, BEEHLER, WORREL, HERZ/G, 8 CALDWELL) A 7' TORNEVS. @YW zy/#W7 Patented Dec. 4, 1951 k f-Thisinventionirelatesftoifnderlsiritsfraaltonioile's'eand particularly f aelnewffand improved --fr'mlf ffront=fenderfskirtandinewand improved meansforksecuringithe' same tu a fender.

@Qrdinarily v-:the Iiront fenders '-fofliautomobiles 25' A.have exposed '.W ells to :accemmadate Y:the lturning of the zfrontzwheels. 1 :This zonen :constrnctipn111eg` tracts from the streamline and appearancemf .the

:automobilewhichfmouldifbeaenhaneedibydheadd- K tion of. appropriatelyidesignednfrontiieniiergskirts .wnnseapplication .wnuidi-beautiiy-.the front-.ei the automobile 'and if properly construdted ewpyld harmonizewith the remainder Qf ineIhQdyM'Dhqntidistortingthe -generalnmnontienseffin belly eet prenertionsaef thebndy.- Y

Fender skirts, fas previniislyqlnqwnmainly designed as a bare cover lfa ne @enterre ien@ #ne eiltemebile- .fleungfeesible t,

7.4. f l angular `(position so as ,to streamline `the fe d'er etherfebieei'Qfhiejieveriiie frntfnder skirt 4ofthe .de

embleneniry 'te eenvenienefl' irene eiruewreendirimf yrenderli.said.fendersinthe evenifitisfzd ired. 1pk-dispense with `-hese :skirt-s. :fsaidattac g means 'lpeing likewise readily 'releasablewto Imeile,

ita-,te removaliofethe,skirt'rvszherehy to give annees` to y:the iront wheels ifror changing .aa ttire, remov ingtthe-w-heel, or theilike. Y

Anotherobject of @the inventoneis fthe provision di 1a new :..and v:fimautolved fender'iskint iis j j, ni-'577,613.7

tion 'and removal, Simple ianfd `sturdy in fgd'esign,

`antifsusceptibl'e pfin'ia'ss production.

*It is moreover 'among the objects of this intenndidth'er .objects infview, tl'ieV infp .infineiconetriietin,arrangement binationof the ",va'rgusparts ofthefdehereby 'the *Qbiects contemplated alie 'ete yas hereinafter Lset efortn, peintedsou in AendedA lairn andillustratedl vthe .aqomf panymg'drawings.

Begerringto thedrawings: '-Fieurel iSfe perspective View .f ,ein eutomble, freelenielly ehevlvn :in deted'euilinef .O'f .e pref fe dffermeffrentfenderfSkit-eeennlied.

.leisure is en ferner-eneide View ef the 1referr-.eddorm.v of 4,front .enderskrirtas appliedtoan auiemobile with; peletebrekeneewey.

@ligure 3 -is fa detailed iseetional .yiewas .on line. 3,-13 of Figure 2,

, Figure f4 .is a detailed :sectional "View :as on *a i'Eigure 5 :is :fa -dtailedisectional view as .on-a .lin--S UL=Figure 2. @Figure 6 fisfa fragmentary .side .view of another pi efierred'form offfront fender skirt.

Referring more particularly to the dra-Wings, ijlf're `s`hW n--an lau'trncinbile 0 havingfa Y"front e der lil'and'aychrorriefstrip 1,2"secured asat :se ctedDQnts 4I3 'infa ;conve'ntiona1 mannerto the ender. The automobile 'luhosenas `ergernli,1.n0tllimiting,'thisinvention is 3,1946 n 'rdhavng'integral'headiighisLldeformed in hendersendlhaving a frontlbumper l5.

1A 'front .fender .Skirt i6 is .normallyl disposed @Yereaeh `fend.eriavell 'I1 as Shown.

lhqttoxn fedge I8 .of the .skirt is .preferably ggrmediwith an inturnea `11p .1.9 ,in angnmentwith e @wer edge 2U ef-therfender Il and threueh which any appropriate .securing meanefas asheetmetalfscrew y:ZI :may be inserted .to steady and hold'the skirt at said point.

.elongate gnange -22 is `turned upwardly-aand air 1.was:dlyand mayaisozbeprovidedwithastitenf :50 ingdip or-Tlange v23. A'rfsheet-metal screwikmay lbeinsertedeat Lthe bottom edge fof:thegi-ender,1ark `fic'eisii'. ka'bead `:25 'Sshown -in Figure 3 t'ofhe fbelow Righe f'fenden'panel' 2 6 v and normally extending enti-rely around the Ifender well'opening-lfl.

eFig'ure 17v visan enlarged detailed A'sectional f'view andere erably forward of the corresponding front edge 3l of the well I1. The upper edge 32 of the skirt preferably extends to a somewhat lesser degree above the upper central portion 33 of the well and may be provided as with at parallel vertically projecting ears 34, 35 and 35', normally tucked under the chrome strip I2 between the points I3 of the securement to the fenders in order to hold the skirt to the fender at the top edge32.` Y,

The rearward edge 36 of the' skirt, in a similar manner to the forward edge 30, preferably also projects substantially over the rearmost handle-,f

31 of the fender, thereby giving the skirt a con- Vsiderable length from the forward edge 30 to the flanges firmly under and against the bottom edge of the fender, then turning the arm 60 from its dotted position, as shown in Figure 7, to the solid position shown therein and passing the bolt 62 rearward edge 36 as compared with the corresponding distance between the forward edge 3lk and rear edge 38 of the fender well I1, and giv'v ing the skirt a sufficient length to flare outwardly in a broad sweeping curve in conformity with and enhancing the streamline and contour of the automobile while at the same time providing sufiicient clearance for turning of the front wheel 39.

As illustrated, the skirt I5 is'roughly a parallelogram in shape whose upper and Vlower `edges I9 and 32 taper slightly towards one another at the forward end 30, while the ends 3o and 3G preferably slant downward and rearwardly as shown, the edge 36 preferably slanting rearwardly more than the edge 35 and preferably having a tab 40 at the lowermost edge thereof normally lying at against the outer vside of the fender under a strip 4U'. l

The radius of curvature of theskirt at the juncture of the edges 3l! and 32, and 32'and 3B, and also optionally at the juncture of the bottom edge 4I and front edge 30, is preferably rather small as compared with the broader curvatureof the skirt body proper viewed from any edgef' The instant construction provides securement at the curved corners d2, 43 and 44 of the skirt, at or about the tab 4I! and by virtue of the ears 34, 35 and 35', preferably immediately above the well, thereby assuring adequate securement of the skirt to the fender. The fender, moreover, presents a streamlined appearance which tends, while the automobile is in motion, to diminish the wind forces, generally acting to tear the skirt loose from thel fender. The relatively sharp curvature at the edges stiffens them and prevents napping.

The embodiment of Figures 6 and 7 discloses a front fender skirt 50 preferably formed as with a downwardly turned nange 5I at its upper edge and an inwardly turned Iiange 52 at'its lower edge. The peri-phery may be formed in a similar manner to that illustrated for the first embodi-l ment of Figures 1 through 5'. A substantially vertical brace 55 may be secured at oneof its ends 56 in any appropriate manner as by a rivet 51' to the bottom'flange 52 of the skirt while the upper end 65 may likewise be twisted and secured in any appropriate manner as by spot welding 59' to the flange 5|. The frame 55 thereby serves to strengthen the skirt and retain the bowed shape thereof from top to bottom edges. k l Y Secured to the frame 55 is a link 5G having a hook-shaped arm 51 conforming to the shape of a bead 58 surrounding the .well of a fender 59 (lacking the chrome strip I2 of the. preceding embodiment)` and another arm .60, also shown in dotted outline, formed with a hole 5I for the reception of a bolt or the like 62 to hold the hook inA clamped .relationship Iwith ,the iendenand through the opening 6I, then firmly tightening the same Yin place. In view of the extent to which the tip of the hook 51 encircles the bead 58, no'other orfurther securement is ordinarily required, but firm securement is obtained. In connection with the extending ears 34, 35 and 35- of Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, it may be said that the brace 55 may be employed upon this embodiment, in which case the scour-ement means of Figures 5 and 6 serve to clamp the fender skirt laterally against the automobile while the extending ears 35 and 35 tend to prevent relative slippage rotation for lateral play of the skirt. and the fender.

In other respects the two forms of skirt, except for the optional omission of the ears 34,35 and 35', may be identical, when such additional brace is provided.

This invention features the provision of a front fender skirt considerably longer forwardly and rearwardly than the fender well, and which incorporates new and improved fasteningl means appropriate to the automobile to which it is to be applied, and optionally incorporating easily applied and releasable yet adequate securing means therefor. Y -The skirt may, of course, be made of metal, such as aluminum, sheet iron, Yor the like.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the mostpractical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claim so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices. Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: For use on a finished automobile front fender having an arcuate fender well at the side thereof open at the bottom and defining depending iorward and rearward fender panels, a front fender skirt applicable to the outer side of said fender extending over the central fender body above the well, said skirt extending over said forward and rearward panels Yfarther than over said central fender body, and means releasably securing said skirt to said fender above the well and over said forward and rearward fender panels, said means v'comprising a downwardly turned flange on'an upper margin of said skirt, a stiffening lipon the bottom edge thereof, an elongate brace member-having an end secured between the flange and the skirt body at said margin, another end of the brace member being secured to said opposite edgeof the skirt, a clamp V.ele-- ment comprisingra link deningiopposed arms pivotally secured tothe brace member between the ends of the latter, said fender at said Y.well defining a bead, onebfsaidarmsbeinghooke 6 shaped to accommodate and grip said bead, hold- REFERENCES CITED mg means assoclated Wlth the other arm and The following references are of record in the said brace member to retain the same in said fue of this patent:

gripping relationship to the bead whereby said skirt is firmly pressed against said fender, and 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS a non-abrasive tape normally held between the Number Name Date flange and the fender to prevent marring of the 2,158,813 Altmyer May 16, 1939 latter. 2,161,160 Harroun et al. June 6, 1939 2,261,376 Jandus Nov. 4, 1941 HARRY BOOKMAN. 10 2,349,421 Green May 23, 1944 

